Help!! My 15 week old puppy just showed a major bloat sign but the ER vet said its doubtful that its bloat!! I woke him up this morning as usual, well it was the other way around honestly, and i took him outside to use the bathroom. I brought him back in and hadn't fed him yet, when he started heaving. After about 15 secs of dry heaving, he vomited a small amount of white liquid. I don't feel confident enough to call it saliva. But it was white and a thicker than saliva. He is running and jumping and playing like a kid at six flags or something. His stomach is not distended or tight at all, its very soft. No whimpering or any sign he is hunching over to protect his stomach. In fact the only visible symptom he has shown is the white liquid vomit. He is on panacur for Giardia. He hasn't eaten this morning yet and his last dose was last night at 6. The emergency vet said it wasn't likely to be bloat but to make sure he doesn't inhale his food or water. We don't let him do that anyways but they didn't seem too concerned about bloat. They recommended I monitor him for the next couple of hours after breakfast and then judge to see if I need to pay 92 dollars for an exam then whatever the cost after that for treatment. If it isn't imperative to his being alive and healthy, I would like to avoid the fee, we are hoping to close on our first home in less than a month and we need our money for that right now. Of course I will do whatever is necessary to keep him alive and healthy, but if this is just panacur, then I would like to save my money for our new home. Anyone have any similar experience with their pups and panacur?? Or a relevant situation regarding bloat? Anyone have advise? Anyone wanna freak out at me through a forum because they think its bloat and then they think I'm a crappy prson for not getting to the vet?? That last one, I'm just gonna go ahead and tell you that you [*** to not even bother ***]. Personal opinions mean nothing to this marine. But real advise, facts, and help would be great. Thanks so much for all your time.

Last edited by Castlemaid; 12-23-2012 at 10:01 AM.
Reason: Edited by ADMIN for language - attacks

Most likely, it's been a while since your puppy ate and he vomited from an empty stomach. It's very common. Especially if he's not showing signs of pain, hard belly, excessive drinking etc. You could always give him a Gas X if you are worried.

Also, I think it's a good idea that you go reread the rules. Being rude to other posters to prevent them from being rude to you will not be tolerated.

If he hasn't been drinking or eating I would doubt bloat. Keep an eye on him. If you are truly concerned bring him to the e-vet. Sometimes peace of mind is worth spending money on a false alarm. Did you see your pup eat any grass while he was outside? Sometimes that triggers vomiting.

From my experience, when they are bloating the vomiting/heaving will be every few minutes. They also seem lethargic and can't get comfortable. Easiest way to check for bloat is to put your ear on one side of his stomach and tap the other side. If it sounds like a drum then bloat is a possibility. At least with Freyja, she was extremely uncomfortable and snippy when her stomach was touched.

Freyja went through a phase where she would vomit foamy liquid every morning before breakfast. This lasted for several months. After multiple appointments I was told that she most likely is getting herself too worked up on an empty stomach. Several weeks later it stopped and has never reoccurred. I chalked it up to a puppy phase.

When my old guy, Pyrate, was a pup he would vomit if he didn't get his breakfast early enough. It was usually more yellow acidic type stuff though. He grew through that stage but it seemed to hit more after taking medication and not eating as much as usual. That may be a possibility in your case since the pup is on medication and vomited before eating. I'm not a vet though and only a vet can say for sure. Listening to the pup's stomach may be a good idea. You will be able to hear a different type, maybe hollow like sounding, if you thump lightly on one side if he is bloated. You may not hear it if he is a particularly fluffy pup though. Does he seem extended in the belly area? It's really hard to say without actually seeing him. If he isn't lethargic then I would watch closely for today and see how he improves. If he doesn't try to vomit any more it probably isn't bloat.

Thanks guys, gunner tends to want to be my lawn mower sometimes. And we're breaking the habit, but like everything with pups it takes time. So that combined with the early morning empty stomach and medication, I think we're good on the bloat. Makes my time on this forum worth a lot to me thanks a lot.

Thanks guys, gunner tends to want to be my lawn mower sometimes. And we're breaking the habit, but like everything with pups it takes time. So that combined with the early morning empty stomach and medication, I think we're good on the bloat. Makes my time on this forum worth a lot to me thanks a lot.

No problem!

Just as a bloat symtom, the dogs start acting very peculiar due to the pain they are in when bloating. So the other good news is you said your pup was running around like a normal crazy puppy.

Just feed a bit later at night, or earlier in the morning and realize it's not uncommon in the morning.

I have experience with bloat, and my experience is you will know something is very, very wrong. It is an emergency situation and you will know you have an emergency, there will be no question.

What happened with my dog is she started dry heaving continuously, nothing would produce. She would not settle, she was clearly panicked, hunched, her abdomen unmistakably distended and hard. That was my first experience with bloat and I was in the car with my dog in a matter of minutes, driving on sidewalks to get around traffic and through parking lots to get to the e-vet. It was one of the worst experiences of my life and I will never forget it. Her wailing was horrific.

My experience with bloat is it's clearly a life or death situation. If you know nothing about bloat, you may not know that's what it is but you _will_ know your dog is in immediate need of emergency care. You will be afraid your dog is dying, and you will be correct...your dog is dying. You have only minutes to respond.

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